Device for supporting tires in vulcanizers



Sept. 2, 1941. J. H. ZIMMERMAN DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING TIRES IN VULCANIZERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 18, 1957 Sept. 2, 194 J. H. ZIMMERMAN DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING TIRES IN VULCANIZERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 18, 1957 2/0617 H Z/mmrmarz Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE DEVXCE FOR SUPPORTING TIRES IN VULCANIZERS John H. Zimmerman, Akron, Ohio, assignor to Wingfoot Corporation; Wilmington, DeL, acorporation of Delaware Application August is, 1937, Serial him-159,719

1 Claim. 01. 18-17) This invention relates to vulcanizing apparatus and it refers more particularly to means for facilitating removal of finished articles from molds in which they have been vulcanized.

This invention is of especial utility in tirevulcanizing molds from which, due to adhesion,

automatically assisting in the removal of tires from vulcanizing molds which will eliminate the usual excessive labor and will save time, and with more safety to the operator.

This invention is applicable to individual steamjacketed vulcanizers or may be applied to separa-v ble molds of the pot-heater type, or other molds having cavities in their meeting. faces.

Theforegoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein one form has been shown merely by way of illustration, and in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a vulcanizer in opened condition and showing the novel attachment in active position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the device in inactive position;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the device in active position with the tire in position about to drop from upper half of mold onto the arm;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the device in cocked position;

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the swinging arm per se.

The invention is shown in the drawings as applied to one form of steam-jacketed vulcanizer of the individual type which consists of a base In supporting a lower mold section II having an annular cavity [2 forming the lower half of the mold for the tire l3. Disposed above the lower mold section 1 I is an upper mold section l4 having cut in thelower face an annular cavity l5 adapted to meet the cavitied face of the mold section II and to confine a tire therebetween when the mold is closed. The lower section II of this particular vulcanizer remains stationary, but the upper section [4 is capable of moving vertically vide enough space between the two membersfor advantageously loading and unloadingthe vulcanizer. The movement of the uppermold section M is'eiiected by a pair of toggle arms I! and I8 through a screw i 9 which, in turn, is actuated by a motor 19*. p

The direction of travel of the member 14 is governed by engagement of lugs (not shown) on either side of the member l4, with guide slots 28 and 21 in stationary plates 22 on either side of the vulcanizer.

for a certain distance and then obliquely to pro- 55 generally by the numeral 21.

bearing bracket 25 is cylindrical and is provided later.

:The vulcanizer thus far described is merely oneiof several commercially available forms with which the invention may be used but to which the invention is not limited.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, it will be seen that on the front side of the base Iii a bearing bracket 25 issecured by cap screws 28, said bracket 25 being bored to receive a swinging arm indicated The body of the on its upper surface with a notch 28 in which is welded a radial key 29. The lower end of the bearing bracket 25 is counterbored at 30.to receive a compression spring 3|. The swinging arm 21 has a vertical portion 32 and a horizontal portion 33, said vertical portion carrying a collar 34 on the under side of which are half-round radial grooves 35 and 36. The lower surface of the collar 34 and the upper surface of the bearing bracket are held in spring-pressed relation through the action of the spring 3|, which is supported by a washer 31 and cotter pin 38.

Thus, as the swinging arm is manipulated to bring either of the grooves 35 and 36 into register with the radial key 29, the spring will tend to maintain such registration, keeping the arm in either active or inactive position.

Clamped or otherwise secured to the lower end of the vertical arm portion 32 is an extension 39 having in its outer end a hole 40 into which is hooked one end of a coiled tension spring 4|, the other end of which is hooked into another bracket 42 attached to the base It by the cap screws 43,

said spring 4! is for the purpose of actuating the swinging arm 21 automatically when the vulcanizer is opened, as will be more fully described Referring to Fig. 4, it will be noted that the horizontal or swinging portion 33 of the arm 21 is curved. This is for the purpose of conserV-' 5 ing space, for it will be apparent that if this portion of the arm were straight (as it may be if desired), the bearing bracket 25 would have to be set out farther from the vulcanizer base III to allow the end of the arm to contact theouter circular edge of the upper mold section l4 when the mold is closed. Similarly, when in inactive position, if straight, the arm would extend out from the vulcanizer farther than in the illustrated embodiment. It will also be noted that the curved member 33 has its upper surface beveled at its end for the purpose of allowing the arm more easily to enter the space between the mold sections and under the tire as the vulcanizer opens. The end of the arm 33 is large enough so that it will not be retarded but will permit the irregular tread of the tire to slide by it.

When a tire is cured and the vulcanizer has opened enough to allow the arm 33 to enter the opening and contact the tire I3, the tire [3 will stick to the upper cavity of the mold and as it moves free of the lower cavity the arm, due to the action of the spring 4|, will swing in under the tire and across the lower cavity, preventing tire from reentering the said cavity.

The operation is as follows:

The operator will pull the swinging arm 21 upward against the. compression of spring 3| to disengage groove 35 from the key 29, then swing the arm counter-clockwise until the groove 33 engages the key 29. This will hold the arm out of the way of the operator as shown in broken lines in Fig. 4 and will permit the operator to prepare the vmold cavities and place a tire in position to be cured. In preparing the mold for loading, the operator or attendant will paint, swab or spray the front half of the lower mold cavity 12 and the rear half of the upper mold cavity l with a non-adhesive solution, such as soap or soapstone, or other known material used for this purpose. By this method of painting, it will be possible for the tire to move freely out of the cavities at these painted points, but the upper cavity [5 in front and the lower cavity l2 in the rear not, being painted, the tire will adhereto these areas long enough to permit the arm 33 to act and accomplishv the purpose for which it is intended. After the cavities have been, painted as described the tire is placed in the mold with its usual inflatable core and fthe mold closed. When this has been done the operator again raises the arm 21, disengaging the groove 36 from the key 29. This permits the end of arm 33 to contact the outer surface of the annular mold member l4, due to the action of the spring 4! as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

of upper mold member I4 has raised above it.

This permits the end of the arm 33' to contact the tire which naturally adheres to the upper mold cavity and moves upward with it. Meanwhile the end of arm 33 works its way inward, due to the action of the spring 4|, and when the tire leaves the lower cavity the arm swings to a. radial position above and across the lower cavity and is held in this position when the groove 35 interlocks with the key 29. As the upper mold member continues its upward and oblique movement, the tire will break away from the upper cavity and fall upon the arm, in which position the tire is easily and quickly removed by the operator.

The particular arrangement herein disclosed is susceptible .to variations without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

Tire-vulcanizing apparatus comprising a pair of separable circular mold sections having cavities in their meeting faces, means for moving one of the mold sections toward and from the other mold section, an arm pivoted outside of said other mold section and having a tiresupporting portion movable into and out of active position adjacent the corresponding cavity when the mold sections are separated, and yielding means to swing said arm to move said tire-supporting portion into active position as the mold sections are separated.

JOHN H. ZIIWMERMAN. 

